aki ≠ tsundere

01 Jan, 2026

happy new year! first entry of 2026..

i always find it so aggravating when aki selfshippers see aki as someone uncaring and nonchalant about his emotions... especially romantically

just because he's generally reserved or closed off about his emotions doesn't mean that he will push others away to that extent. i'll use makima (unfortunately) as examples

he held makima in high regard and was quite gentlemanly toward her. he set aside a seat for her the night he drank with his coworkers and trusted her easily. his tone is softer and he is more lenient (or i guess compliant) on what she asks, which you can see whenever they are speaking over the phone! although, yes, he was being manipulated/controlled by his boss , these affections were likely already somewhat existent and only being amplified by makima's powers.

i would use the hayakawas & perhaps himeno but those are platonic/familial affections and thus he acts differently regardless of how much he cares... makima's the closest canonical representation we can get. and! i WOULD use angel but the romance they share is quite complicated as their entire relationship conflicts against his own values which isn't really the point i'm attempting to make here

aki, if given the chance, would want to love and share that with someone. the main reason why people view his ideals differently is because of his trauma. it does make sense when taking into account his survivor's guilt as perhaps his limited time would only hurt both sides... pushing romance away would make sense for the sake of his own heart. but he has always, always been kind and loving. it is quite reserved but i simply can't see him becoming fully ignorant or apathetic toward someone who returns his love for him.

he would indulge himself, even if it was just a bit. daring himself to appreciate any acts of kindness and return them in kind... probably in his own way, of course. i think he might still push them away to an extent: friends with benefits or unlabeled relationships isn't exactly off the table. beyond that, there would be. a terrible amount of communication issues to handle.

but if he was convinced, he'd bring himself to act upon his wants for just ONCE in his life. he'd put in the work to make it worth it! or at least try. in the end he yearns to live normally... so is him VISIBLY loving someone so unrealistic?

maybe i'm just autistic and maybe projecting